Hostels aren't as widespread in the USA as elsewhere but there are a good selection of hostels in cities like New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles and more and more have sprung up across the states in the last decade.

Hostelling International USA (registered as American Youth Hostels, Inc.) operates a network of more than 100 hostels in the USA that are inexpensive, safe and clean. Hostels range from urban high-rise buildings with hundreds of beds to small hostels in rural settings.
There are also a large number of independently run hostels throughout the US, some of these are part of chains such as USA Hostels and Pacific Rim Hostels.
Standards in USA hostels vary greatly with many smaller hostels offering self-catering kitchens.